


the princess and her three idiots

by AtomicGalaxy



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst with a Happy Ending, Canon-Typical Violence, Fluff, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Light Angst, Multi, No Incest, Not enabler, POV Alternating, Past Abuse, Slow Burn, god theyre such idiots, its actually pretty light hearted, ok thats enough
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:22:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,956
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27922969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AtomicGalaxy/pseuds/AtomicGalaxy
Summary: Princess Weiss Schnee of Atlas was perfectly content living her pampered, unbothered life but her father clearly had other plans when he assigned Ruby and Yang as her personal protectors. They're incompetent and loud and, admittedly, kind of cute. And they might be her only hope against the assassin hunting her.pollination fantasy au minus enabler cause. ew.
Relationships: Blake Belladonna/Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna/Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long, Blake Belladonna/Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna/Yang Xiao Long, Jaune Arc/Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren/Nora Valkyrie, Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee, Weiss Schnee/Yang Xiao Long
Comments: 7
Kudos: 50





	1. one.

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoy my first every multichapter fic! can't say how frequent the updates will be but i have a few chapters pre-written so they'll hopefully be every week or so!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Weiss meets her new guards and is less than impressed

Jacques Schnee was a truly insufferable man, and he was not known for making exceptionally good decisions. Weiss had known this for some time, though she was embarrassed to admit how long she had idolised her father. Really, his latest venture shouldn’t have shocked her nearly as much as it did.

But  _ personal guards  _ were taking it all a bit far. She’d lived almost 19 years as a princess, her life was no more in danger now than it had been before.

“The White Fang are growing.” He had claimed, in that condescending voice he used to tell her things she already knew. “I cannot risk your safety, Weiss.”

She supposed the sentiment was sweet, perhaps proof to anyone else that the King did care for his daughter, but she could see past it. It wasn’t  _ her  _ safety he was so worried about. It was the safety of her betrothal to Henry Marigold and the security of an heir. A  _ male  _ heir.

Weiss huffed out a sigh as she slammed the door to her chambers, surveying the pristine, mostly white room. She hated it. Every piece of furniture, every bit of clothing, was the same blank colour. The four poster bed in the centre of the room had been made in the time she had been talking to her father, the plain sheets straightened and the colourless drapes pulled to the side. The blinding light of the sun shining through snow pierced through the window to light up the barren wasteland of her room.

She rubbed at her face in exasperation, a bad habit Winter would have scolded her for, had she been there. She wasn’t, of course, and Weiss doubted she would see her for quite some time. Another of Jacques Schnee’s terrible decisions. One child disappoints you? Remove her from the succession and move onto the next one.

The only splash of colour in the entire room, though muted, came from the rows of dull and dusty books on the colourless bookshelf. Weiss ran her finger across them, fingertips leaving a clean trail in the grey dirt, before selecting her favourite, the leather spine worn from years of rereading. She settled into the white chair to read, losing herself in the story for the millionth time.

By the time Klein came to fetch her for dinner she was nearly finished, hours spent in solitude as a child providing her with a certain talent for absolutely devouring books.

Her father was surely dining in his war room, going over plans and maps and figuring out more ways to stretch their kingdom’s troops thin. Weiss sat across from Whitley and ate quietly, pointedly not looking at him or the three empty seats around them.

He broke the silence eventually, tearing into a piece of bread. “Father assigned you personal guards as well, yes?”

Weiss didn’t respond immediately, staring at her food petulantly. “Yes, he did.”

“It’s ridiculous.” Her brother bit into the bread as he spoke, covering his mouth with his hand. “There are no real threats out there.”

While she agreed that her father’s new method was beyond stupid, she didn’t think they should dismiss the many people who would kill them given the opportunity. “I suppose.” She said. An argument would simply ruin dinner.

“Other than those filthy Faunus in the White Fang.” Whitley sneered. “But those animals are hardly smart enough to coordinate an attack on Atlas.”

The meal passed in silence from then on and soon enough, Weiss was lying in bed, trying desperately to fall asleep. Her head was reeling and after hours of staring up at the ceiling she huffed and rolled onto her side. Her guards would be arriving tomorrow. Hopefully they were competent.

\---

As it turned out, there was no end to Jacques’ stupidity. She watched from her window as the two newest members of the royal household stumbled out of their carriage. They looked no older than she was. Hell, the shorter of the two still looked like a child. Weiss scowled through the glass at the two of them before retiring to the armchair until Klein knocked on her door. 

“Your highness, your father requests your presence in the throne room.” He spoke softly, holding the door open for her. Weiss sighed and followed him through the stark hallways of the palace. She bowed when she entered, focusing immediately on the King on his throne, just as she was taught to. She barely even spared the other two a passing glance as she stood to attention at the foot of the throne.

“Father.” She greeted regally. 

Jacques nodded in acknowledgement. “Weiss, meet Ruby and Yang. These are the two we spoke of.” She turned to give the other two a curt nod before returning her attention to her father. “Show them around the palace, their chambers are next to yours.”

With that he turned away, a clear dismissal as he muttered something quietly to the man standing next to him. Wrapped up in the new conversation, he didn’t even notice the three of them leaving. 

Weiss walked in silence in front of the other two. One of them cleared their throat expectantly. She spun to face them and finally took in their appearance.

God, her father was an idiot.

She had never, in her life, seen two people look more out of place. The only colour in the entire hallway belonged to them, as though they had absorbed it and wouldn’t let it go.

The taller of the two had a hand in her hair, trying to control the mane of yellow. Her eyes were a stunning lilac and her mouth was pulled into a grin. She was dressed in brown and yellow, fabric sewn together as though it had been ripped many times and haphazardly put back together. An orange cloth was tied around her neck, resting on her chest.

The shorter couldn’t have been more different, silver eyes sparkling nervously in the sharp light. She was bouncing from foot to foot, fiddling with the bizarre red cape she was wearing. Her black hair faded to red at the ends, resting just above her shoulders. Her clothes were also patched in places and just plain ripped in others.

Weiss faltered, staring at them. Her eyes took in the faults in their clothes, the dirt on the younger’s nose, the blonde’s untameable hair. Her father really didn’t care. 

He’d enlisted two peasants to protect her. 

She scoffed loudly and faced forward again, furious.

“Everything okay, your highness?” One of them asked. She held up a hand angrily.

“I’m quite alright.” She began to walk again, attempting to reign in her temper before they noticed. She stopped beside the room next to hers and pointed them inside. “I assume you’ll be sleeping in there. Good day.” She left them standing in the corridor, slamming her own door behind her and collapsing onto her bed to scream into her pillow.

\---

Klein knocked on the door again that night to call her for dinner. It was a little early, given the sun’s position in the sky it was only mid-afternoon. 

Her explanation for the early intrusion came when she opened the door. Her two guards stood before her, the taller grinning, the smaller looking nervous. She regarded them coolly.

“Can I help you?” She asked, crossing her arms.

“Your highness, can we come in?” The blonde didn’t wait for an answer, stepping past her and into the room, looking around with wide eyes. “This place is huge.” She slumped into the armchair as Weiss watched, offended.

“Yang!” The shorter squeaked, wincing when Weiss glared at her.

The blonde, Yang, shrugged nonchalantly. “My bad.” 

Weiss huffed and stepped aside to let the other girl in. “What is it you need?”

“Well, um…” The shorter girl mumbled, fiddling with her fingers as she came to stand next to her friend.

“Spit it out.” Weiss demanded, getting impatient.

The redhead looked taken aback for a whole second before her eyes hardened. “There’s no need to be rude.”

Weiss thought there was every need to be rude, the two had barged into her bedroom after all.

“Well, excuse me!” She shot back, seating herself on her bed. The sheets were freezing. “I was  _ trying  _ to enjoy my afternoon before you two interrupted me. Forgive me if I’m not too welcoming.”

The redhead went to retort but Yang put a hand on her shoulder to stop her, rising from the armchair quickly. “Okay, okay, let’s not fight.” She bowed her head at Weiss. “Sorry for the intrusion, but Ruby and I were just hoping to get to know you. We’re going to be stuck together for a while and we’d prefer to know you further than just the princess.”

Weiss considered the explanation for a second before she relented.

“What do you want to know?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hope you enjoyed! see you next time!!


	2. two.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ruby and Yang receive a job offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> kinda sat on this for a while cause i wasn't sure about it but decided fuck it, might as well. hope you enjoy!

Ruby was not a thief. Everything she stole she needed and she was going to pay it back. The second she could afford to. 

She’d gone her entire life swiping apples and bread from carts and cutting coin pouches from any gullible passer-by. It was her duty as the smallest, fastest and most innocent looking member of the family.

It was a wonder she had never been caught, though Atlas security was somewhat… lacking. Yang said it was because the King had his knights everywhere, instead of focused on the kingdom. That was how the White Fang could continue their attacks. That was why invasion was inevitable.

She snatched a loaf of bread from the stand next to her as she walked, wondering if she should risk stealing some nice cheese to go with it when a hand gripping her collar stopped her thoughts all together. She swung her head round to stare at the city guard holding her in place.

“Where do you think you’re going?” He growled, shaking her roughly. Ruby’s breath caught in her throat as she tried to think of an escape plan. In the end, she just threw the bread at him and scrambled away when he flinched back. 

She had left Yang in the main square, if she could just get back to her then maybe her sister could talk her way out like she usually does. She dodged through the crowds of shoppers, racing to where she knew her sister would be waiting. 

She cursed herself relentlessly, knowing fine well she should have checked for guards before taking the bread. She could hear the guard chasing her, shouting at the crowds to clear. She glanced back to see him gaining on her before she crashed directly into someone.

“Rubes? What’re you running for?” The familiar voice sent a wave of relief crashing over her as Yang helped her to stand upright. The guard stopped in front of them, pointing furiously at Ruby.

“Thief!”

Ruby could feel Yang’s chest heave as she inhaled, preparing herself for the conversation she was about to have. “My apologies, sir.” She smiled her sweetest smile, ruffling Ruby’s hair. “My sister must have simply made a mistake.” She nudged Ruby.

The redhead jumped before nodding along. “Yeah! I’m sorry, sir.” She bowed her head low in apology.

The guard huffed out a sigh but his chest was puffed out in pride. The apology was clearly stroking his ego. 

“If there’s anything we can do to make things right…” Yang prompted. The guard raised an eyebrow before an idea struck.

“Actually… yes, there is something you can do.” He regarded them with a calculating look and made a decision. “The usual punishment for theft is the loss of your hands.” He told them. Ruby’s heart pounded in her ears. “However, I’m sure the King will forgive you this transgression if you will do something for him.”

Ruby exchanged a hesitant glance with her sister. “What kind of something?”

“Our kingdom is under… threat.” He said tentatively. “The princess is in need of protection. You both look strong and healthy, can you fight?”

Ruby and Yang had spent their entire lives moving from village to village, stealing and moving on before they could be remembered. Their father had taught them a thing or two before they left but the rest of their skills had been learned on the road. They could both hold their own in a fight. 

“Yes.” Yang replied for the both of them, leaving out the somewhat painful details.

“Perfect.” The guard flourished his hand up at the palace. “Offer your services as the princess’ personal protectors and your charges will be dropped. Food and lodgings will be provided.”

They exchanged another glance. Yang answered for the both of them again. The guard smiled for the first time.

\---

The King was something of a sight to behold. Tall and pale, so pale it was hard to tell where his face ended and his white hair began. He sat languidly, staring down at them with nothing short of disinterest. Ruby wasn’t sure she liked him.

And then he started speaking and she was entirely sure that she hated him. He sounded bored, as though the safety of his daughter was a matter below him. He droned on about the role for several minutes before sending them away and telling them to come back tomorrow. As soon as they were out of earshot of anyone important, Yang spoke up.

“What an asshole.” She said and Ruby laughed.

“I’m just glad I get to keep my hands.” 

They returned to the inn they were staying at, alerting the man behind the bar of their early checkout. They bought something to eat with the bag of stolen gold in Yang’s pocket and retired to bed early, ready for what was sure to be a long day.

\---

The princess was beautiful. She was on the short side, a few inches shorter than Ruby, and whereas her father had looked cold and distant, she still held a bit of warmth. Not a lot but it was something. Her blue eyes were hard but they shone in the light and she seemed to struggle to keep her hands behind her back. She was a lot more human than anyone else in the palace.

She practically stormed to her chambers after her father was done speaking to her and abandoned them outside their new room with nothing to do and plenty of questions. It took two hours of drumming their fingers in the stark white room to decide that bugging the princess and being executed for it was preferable to staring at the ceiling.

It had shocked Ruby a little, how rude the princess had been but Yang’s intervention had calmed her enough to be civil. They sat in uncomfortable silence until Ruby worked up the courage to ask the first question.

“Do you know why they chose us?” She asked tentatively.

The princess shook her head, looking as though the question had been bothering her just as much. “No. You hardly seem qualified.” Ruby bit back the retort on the tip of her tongue and sighed.

“What’s your name?” Yang tried again with a much simpler question. “We’ve only just arrived and everyone seems to call you princess.”

The princess looked shocked. Ruby wondered if anyone had ever asked her for her name. “Weiss.” She told them, glancing between them. “And you?” Ruby could have sworn the King already introduced them, though maybe the princess had simply forgotten.

“Yang.”   


“Ruby.” Ruby fiddled with her fingers. “Why is everything white?”

\---

After a week, Ruby was sure their relationship had improved. Weiss greeted them in the hallways and didn’t seem to mind as much when they invaded her room for the afternoon. She told them as much as she could and they listened when she wanted to complain about her father. 

“He’s so infuriating!” She said as the two of them settled in her room, Yang lying on the pristine bed and messing up the covers while Ruby perched on the armchair. Weiss paced in front of them as she ranted.

“Have you told him you don’t want to marry Henry?” Yang asked, reclining into the fluffy pillows of the bed.

“Of course not!” Weiss threw her hands up in exasperation. “As if that conversation would go over well.” She turned on her heel to pace in the other direction. “Hello, father, no, I don’t want to marry the boy you picked out for me. Why? Because I hate his guts.” She rubbed her face with her hand. “He wouldn’t even care. I mean, I don’t even  _ like  _ men-” She cut off, her steps faltering and her breath catching. Ruby sat up a little straighter.

Weiss liked girls? That explained… a lot.

Weiss was staring at the floor in terror, avoiding both of their eyes as her breathing quickened and she struggled to stay calm. Ruby watched her, unsure of how to proceed, how to assure her that it was okay.

Luckily, Yang had always been better at that kind of thing. “That’s fair. Men suck.” She agreed, examining her nails in faux offhandedness. Weiss’ head snapped up, staring at her. Alarmingly, there were tears in her eyes.

“You don’t…” She sucked in a breath. “You don’t think it’s unnatural?”

“Weiss…” Ruby said softly, catching her attention. “Of course not. It’s alright.” Weiss wiped at her eyes and had absolutely no time to prepare herself before Ruby crashed into her for a hug.

“What on earth are you doing?!” She shrieked, squirming to get away. Yang swept them both into her arms, practically lifting her off the ground as Weiss protested. “Let go!”

“Get used to it.” Ruby sighed happily.

They fell asleep in the princess’ room that night, blind to what was about to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> see you next time!


End file.
